In the spirit of intermunicipal cooperation, Bolton Point, City of Ithaca, and Cornell water systems provide unified Drinking Water Quality Report...

The Cornell Water Filtration Plant provides the Cornell campus, Forest Home, and Cornell Heights with safe and reliable drinking water. In 2015, the plant produced 497 million gallons, an average of 1.362 million gallons per day.

Many water-related resources are available on the Sustainable Campus website, including information about the drought of 2016, water conservation, storm water management, watershed protection, and the promotion of water at events on campus and throughout the community.

Big thanks to all customers and departments for their understanding and assistance during the recent drought!

2016 was a challenging year for local water purveyors. Voluntary water restrictions were put in place at Cornell on July 7, and mandatory water restrictions put in place on July 28. Stream flows were at record lows and therefore, such conservation efforts were necessary to protect valuable water resources. The Cornell Water System worked closely with the City of Ithaca, Bolton Point Water System, and the Tompkins County Department of Health to manage the situation successfully. We remain in a voluntary water restriction until groundwater levels and stream flows recover. The recent precipitation has certainly helped but we remain below normal for the year.

Water ProjectsA multi-phased water-supply renovation project began over the summer of 2016 on North Campus. A large percentage of the water mains on North Campus are 80-plus year-old cast iron and need to be replaced over the course of the next four summers. The section of water main along Forest Home Drive, from the MVR parking garage to the Thurston Avenue intersection, was replaced in 2016. In 2017, the section from Thurston Avenue to Anna Comstock Hall will be replaced.

FactWater coolers are available at no charge for Cornell University events. Please check out the student Take Back the Tap website for information about taking advantage of this program. Borrow a cooler!

The staff of the Cornell Water Filtration Plant is proud of the service it provides. We strive to operate and maintain our system to ensure the highest water quality and the most reliable delivery. As the campus evolves, we add to or modify our system to accommodate changing needs.

Views expressed in News posts may not be those of Cornell University. No endorsement is implied.